The present invention relates to abrading or scarifying tools for floor maintenance machines, particularly tools for cleaning floors having heavy dirt, oil, paint or the like built up thereon which cannot easily be removed by simple sweeping or scrubbing operations.
Abrading or scarifying machines for removing caked-on grime or other material from floors are known in the art, but such machines are typically large, self-propelled industrial machines, which are too large and expensive for use by small concerns or individuals. Typical of such machines is one sold by the Tennant Company (Model K-4). Such machines are typically used for cleaning large areas such as factory floors, airport runways and the like.
For smaller cleaning jobs, hand-operated machines are normally used, these machines typically having one or more rotating discs or brushes, and being maneuvered by hand across the floor by an operator. Such a machine is illustrated in the U.S. Pat. No. 3,678,532 issued to R. L. Boyd on July 25, 1972. Probably the most commonly used of such machines are the single-shaft type, but heretofore there has not been provided for such machines a suitable abrading or scarifying attachment. Boyd discloses scraping apparatus for such a machine, but it is of fairly complex construction and is arranged with cutters mounted outboard of a rotating disc so that the scraped material will be thrown up above the disc and can foul the attachment thereof with the motor shaft.
Other rotating scraping or abrading tools are known in the art and are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,309,729, issued to J. G. Dresser on Mar. 21, 1967, No. 3,351,046, issued to R. C. Collins on Nov. 7, 1967, No. 3,708,880, issued to J. H. Norfleet on Jan. 9, 1973, and No. 3,731,338, issued to Walsh et al. on May 8, 1973. But all of these latter devices are for attachment to hand-held power tools and are not adapted for use with a floor maintenance machine.